Open and Affirming
. . .Way beyond tolerance!
Plymouth Congregational UCC became an Open and Affirming Congregation of the UCC in 1998. As such, the church actively embraces and affirms members of the LGBT community, making them partners in the life and ministry of the congregation.
****
Inclusive...it's more than you might think.
-
LGBT couples and individuals are welcome.
-
The pastor officiates, and the congregation celebrates, unions for non-traditional couples.
-
Non-traditional families are supported and nurtured
********************************************************************************************************
Litany in celebration of the 1000th ONA church in the UCC. Spoken by Plymouth's congregation in worship February 26, 2012
“We believe that we are called to be a Church that celebrates and shares a common communion and the assurance that all are created by God, reconciled by Christ, and empowered by the grace of the Holy Spirit.”
Praise be to God.
“We believe that people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and
gender expressions are children of God, whole and precious.”
Praise be to God.
“We believe that all persons need and are entitled to a safe place for
spiritual growth and mutual ministry.”
Praise be to God.
We give thanks 27 years ago the United Church of Christ made the bold and
visionary call for local churches to live out these truths by becoming Open
and Affirming.
Praise be to God.
We celebrate the 1000 United Church of Christ congregations who have become
more whole, who have become more fully the body of Christ, by welcoming
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons into the full life and
ministry of the church."
Praise be to God.
We repent the ongoing denigration and discrimination against LGBT person in
church and society, and recommit ourselves to working on behalf of the world
where the gifts of all are received and where all may live unafraid.
And to God be the Glory.
*Lines in quotations are adapted from Plymouth’s Open and Affirming
Declaration.
The ONA committee meets after worship the 2nd Sunday of each month.
All who wish to forward the work of being Open and Affirming are welcome.
*Alternative Prom 2012
Saturday, May 19 from 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Fountain Street Church hosts this safe and supportive night of fun for LGBTQ
high-schoolers and allies. Sponsored by Fountain Club and LGBT Network. For
more information or to RSVP Facebook “West Michigan Alternative Prom” or
email altpromgr@aol.com.
In 1998 Plymouth Church voted to become
“open and affirming,” officially welcoming lesbian, gay and bisexual
individuals into our congregation.
Plymouth was the 236th UCC church to become ONA. Pretty remarkable considering the region it is located in!
While the church has also welcomed transgender individuals, the policy does not officially include transgender folk.
Now the ONA Committee is leading an education process for us to learn about what it means to be transgender in the hope that the church will put the “T” back in LGBT.
See what's happening across the UCC
UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns